Survey Finds Teen Drug Abuse Linked to Lack of Parental Supervision

Parenting plays a big influence on a child’s predisposition for drug use, a new survey finds. Those who tend to leave prescription drugs lying around or within easy access to children and their failure to oversee to their children’s activities can play a big role in developing a tendency for teen drug addiction.

The survey essentially focused on what are called “problem parents” – those do not really have an idea of where their children are during school nights and parents who fail to provide sufficient advice and warnings to their kids about the dangers of drug or alcohol use. The children of these parents find it easier to get access to cigarettes, alcohol and even prescription drugs because they don’t get sufficient adult supervision.

The survey was conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse by Columbia University. It was done each year as a back-to-school activity for both teenagers and their parents.

One of the many findings of the survey says that “almost half of twelve- to seventeen-year olds said they routinely left their homes to hang out with their friends on school nights, but only fourteen percent of parents said their kids did this.” This says a lot about how much parents knew about their kids’ whereabouts. One third of the teenagers who had friends who used drugs say that their friends got their supply of drugs right from their home medicine cabinets. There are also those who say that they can easily get them from friends and classmates as well. One in four teenagers also knew a classmate’s parent who used marijuana and interestingly, one in ten knows a parent who used it with their kids.

Another interesting finding is that most teens find prescription drugs easier to get than beer. 46% of those surveys say that drugs are the easiest substances to get access to.

Parents should be more mindful of their children’s activities. They should be able to find time to supervise their teenagers to keep them from getting into trouble because of substance abuse.

Get help for your teenager today through here at Miramar Recovery Centers. We offer sustainable treatment to help teenagers and adults recover from their addiction so they can lead a better life.